The effect of dichlorvos treatment on butyrylcholinesterase activity and lipid metabolism in rats.

This paper describes the effects of dichlorvos (DDVP) on butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity with possible consequences for lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in rats. The rats of both sexes were given a single and multiple doses of DDVP (8.0 mg/kg body weight) with two-day intervals between administrations, ensuring the continuous inhibition of BuChE activity without lethal outcome. BuChE activity was measured in plasma, liver, and white and brown adipose tissue. The recovery of BuChE activity was observed only in white adipose tissue of female rats 10 days after treatment. Our results show that DDVP significantly decreases BuChE activity in female and male rat plasma (40-60%; P < 0.05), and significantly increases triglycerides (60-600%; P < 0.05) and total cholesterol (35-75%; P < 0.05). In contrast to the increased HDL-cholesterol (20-30%; P < 0.05), LDL-cholesterol decreased (30-40%; P < 0.05). The decrease of BuChE activity and the changes in concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins were observed throughout the experiment. Our results contribute to the hypothesis that BuChE may play a role in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism.